Monday, December 13, 2010

Homemade Potpourri

This is the time of year when everyone wants their house to have that special "holiday" smell. Cinnamon, cloves, etc. seem to be a common scent used in store bought potpourri. It's really easy to fill your house with this wonderful smell using things you probably already have in your kitchen. In fact, this is a great use of past prime fruit that you may have. Another perk of a stove top potpourri is that it will add extra humidity at a dry time of the year in our homes. Just keep an eye on it and add water as needed.
There really is no measurement guide for this concoction. Just chop up the fruit, one kind or a combination, and place in a med. sized pot. No need to core or peel. Add the spices or herbs. You can use just one spice or herb but I've found that a combination is often wonderful. Add water to cover the fruit. Slowly bring to a simmer and then turn down to low. You can also put it in a small crock pot on high. Look for a med. sized crock pot at thrift stores or yard sales specifically for this use. You can often find them for $3-4 (and they don't need the lid!) Just be sure to place your crock pot where children and pets won't disturb it, especially if it doesn't have a lid!
If you want an especially strong scent you can add essential oils to your potpourri. These can be purchased at many Whole Foods or health food stores. Common oils to choose are: Lavender, Cinnamon, Clove, Eucalyptus, Lemon, Grapefruit and Rose. Experiment and come up with your own signature scent!